𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒

two different worlds

"How could two such different worlds co-exist, how could they communicate?"

✉

𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘦,
𝘐'𝘮 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦.
𝘈𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩.
𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦.
𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵.
𝘞𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘴.
𝘈𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦.
𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥.
𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘺.
𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘐'𝘮 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵.
𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸.
𝘉𝘶𝘵, 𝘐'𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺.
- 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘦

Leo sighed.

He just wanted to talk to her. It was all he could think about. She had taken over his mind like some sort of infection or parasite. Invading his being and taking over. He craved a mere glimpse of her gentle eyes or that delicate smile that spread like a spring flower across her face. The sweet sound of her voice that would stick in his head like warm honey. Anything. Everything.

✉

Annie wasn't someone with very many friends. She kept to herself, faded within the shadows, and she liked it that way. She had grown used to it, to the neglect and lack of notice and attention. She was comfortable in those shadows. Shrinking into the corner, pressed into the wall, did anyone know she was present at all?

And now, one of the school's most popular and wanted boys was noticing her, seeing her, talking to her. She didn't know how to feel. It was a new experience for her and new meant scary. She couldn't help but assume the worst, though she was finding herself quite enjoying the feeling.

She did what she always did and pulled a sheet of paper from her bag. She was about to scribble out her thoughts to make sense of them, but before the pen could touch the paper, the chair beside her was pulled from under the table. Leo sat down next to her, in her usual spot in the library.

She looked at her, eyebrows furrowing. "Um-sorry. Can I... help you?"

Leo smiled at the delicacy of her ever-soft-spoken voice. "I saw an empty seat and thought I'd say hi. I did say I'd see you around."

Annie had so many questions but she stayed silent and bit back a shy smile. "Oh. Okay. Hi." She diverted her gaze elsewhere, trying to hide her reddening face.

"Hi," he laughed quietly. "What are you working on?" He nodded at the blank paper in front of her.

"Um," she stared at her paper for a moment. "Just studying," she excused. She felt it was better if she didn't embarrass herself by mentioning her habit of writing her thoughts, like a journal, as he had said.

Leo nodded, sitting upright and leaning over the table. "What's your favourite subject?"

Annie could hardly catch her breath as she grasped him once again, making conversation with her. "Oh, um-English, I guess."

"Why?"

Annie blinked, her eyebrows raising. "Well," she shrugged softly. "There are so many different perspectives and ways to communicate your thoughts..." she trailed off, already feeling a combination of nerves and embarrassment.

Leo, on the other hand, was refraining from smiling like the Cheshire cat. "You're right. Solid points. I once read a study about how English broadens your mind and helps build emotional skills."

"You like it too?" Annie's eyes twinkles as she peered back at him.

"I don't mind it," he said as he leaned back in his chair. "However, I'll admit I'm more a science junkie."

"Really?"

He nodded firmly. "Yeah. I think it's interesting to see how things work. There's so much more behind the naked eye."

Annie smiled softly before diverting her gaze elsewhere, growing squeamish. "I never thought about that. You're right too."

Annie awkwardly fiddled with her fingers as a cloak of silence draped upon them. Her chest was warm and fuzzy and she was oddly delighted. Whereas she had been intimidated to the core by just the thought of Leo Smith, she was now learning there was much more to him than she could have imagined, and so far, she was liking what she was learning.

"Are you going to the game tonight?" He asked her, causing her to look at him again.

She shook her head softly. "No... I don't usually go to those things."

Leo bit back a frown, though he already suspected she wouldn't be going. "You should come."

"Why?" Her voice came out in a breath.

"It'll be fun," he beamed a charming smile. "And the high school football game experience is one I would highly recommend. It's a night you'll remember, Annie."

She smiled faintly, quirking an eyebrow. "How so?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "The roaring crowd, cheering for your home team. It's a huge adrenaline rush. Not to mention, the milkshakes are killer."

While Annie couldn't help but question his motives, she could also see the sincerity in his eyes when he spoke to her. Slowly, she felt her shoulders relaxing.

As though he could see through her, Leo could sense the gears in her head spinning. "Just say you'll think about it and I'll shut up."

Annie laughed a breathy laugh. "I'll think about it."

Leo nodded firmly. "Great." He stood. "I guess I will continue to see you around, Annie Halden."

Annie watched as he walked out of the library, this time, turning to glance over his shoulder and beam his ever-enchanting smile.

To say she was conflicted would be an understatement.

✉